Quick update from IM CDA

HOLY COW!

HOLY COW HOLY COW HOLY COW!!!!!

It happened, and I survived! :)

First - it must be noted that EVERY timing mat that I crossed, I thought about all the support I've received and people tracking me online. It got to be so bad during the run - that I had to STOP thinking about it, because I got emotional. When times were tough, I made an effort to think of friends and family who have helped me along the way. A lot of the time it worked - but during other points I just got too choked up.

Yes, I race on a lot of emotion. That because clear quite quickly.

Where to begin?

Frist - OUCH. Everything, and I mean everything is sore. And that would explain my run split for my last 4 miles. It FELT like I was running the same pace as I had before - except I dropped about 3:00 per mile. Some of that was walking through aid stations and taking my time - but a lot of that was my quads.

Holy Cow.

Um - 10 miles to go and my legs were done. Toasted. Fried. Whatever. They were clearly not happy with me - but I willed myself forward. Mind over matter: if I don't mind, then it just won't matter.

Be warned, though - I'm paying for it now. Boy am I ever.

It was wonderful hearing my name from spectators and friends in the crowd - I really looked forward to the times biking and running through town - as I knew I would see family and friends.

And guess what? I ran my second ever marathon today - how cool is that?

My recap will be in my race report - so not much to add. The swim was ROUGH and really really wavy/windy. I consider myself a strong and pretty decent swimmer - but this was unlike anything that I have ever experienced before. The wind and waves (2+ foot swells) wouldn't have seemed so bad ALONE. But add in 2200+ athletes, and, well - survival became the name of the game.

The bike was windy as well - but I was REALLY conservative - sticking to my heart rate zones. Whenever the effort was too high - I immediately backed off. No questions asked - until the last 5 or 10 miles. Then I pushed a little more and made an effort to pass some people.

My run felt great - until abut mile 22 or 23. Then, well, then my legs decided they had OTHER things in mind - and the focus was (once again) on survival.

The last 1/2 mile run down towards the finish was really emotional. I could feel myself getting choked up, and didn't even bother to hold back tears. Yes - some were from the pain (ouch!) - but most were from the overwhelming sense of accomplishment that accompanies one's first Ironman finish.

THANK YOU for YOUR support and well wishes - it meant the world and I thought about my friends - many of whom I have never met - during the race. How incredibly touching.

And now... I'm going to go tend to my legs. They seem to be twitching in a weird way. Thankfully the haven't locked up on my for the past 2 hours...but I'm just waiting for that delightful moment the minute I stand up.

A special thanks to Ludi - before the start she calmed down and literally held my hand until the cannon fired.

OH - and also to Mom, Dad, and Nathaniel. On my first loop I stopped to give him a kiss - and it was worth every second! AND...before I forget - Happy Father's Day Dad! :) Let's celebrate tomorrow. Today, I'm toast.